In the Dark of Night
by theliplesskiss
Summary: What if Bella and Alice were too late? When Bella finds out that Volturi have captured and killed Edward, she tries to leave the world forever. But in the aftermath of her attempt, when Bella discovers the truth, will she escape her demons? Mature themes
1. An Attempt

Summary:What if Bella and Alice were too late? When Bella finds out that Volturi have captured and killed Edward, she tries to leave the world forever. But in the aftermath of her attempt, when Bella discovers the truth, will she escape her demons?

_A/N: Hey guys! So this is my first Twilight fan fiction. I've written a couple Harry Potter fanfics on another site, but I've moved on to Twilight runs into welcoming arms I hope you enjoy this short little introduction to what I promise to be a long and wonderfully exciting story. So without further ado I give you In the Dark of Night! Review if you have ANY comments...pretty please?_

**An Attempt**

The dark liquid ran down her arms, trickling over her fingers and staining the purity of the white tiles below her. She watched as her blood burrowed into the crevices in the tiles on the bathroom floor. The initial pain she had felt when her veins had been sliced open was gone now, and was replaced by the long lost feeling of serenity. She felt a small smile flicker onto her skeletal face; she would be joining him soon. The dimly lit bathroom was becoming darker, and the girl felt herself begin to slip into the unconscious as the hole in her chest began to stitch itself closed with each quivering breath her lungs released. When the blood had almost entirely drenched her clothing, a piercing sound rang through the girl's frail body. Someone was shouting, and then everything was black.

­­­­

* * *

Isabella Swan opened her eyes groggily and peered at the room around her. It was mostly white. A clunky machine was emitting a small, but steady, beeping. Harsh florescent lights burned her eyes. She was tucked tightly under snowy linens, and suddenly she felt a wave of heat and panic rush over her. As she tried to push herself up into a seated position, an overwhelming pain greeted her, shooting up through her veins. Bella's gaze flew to her wrists as she collapsed back onto the mattress, and with a sharp intake of breath, her eyes traveled over the thick white bandages that were wrapped securely around her forearms. It all came flooding back into her mind…

She and Alice had finally arrived in Volterra, but Edward was already gone. The Volturi had caught him before she could tell him that she was alive. She had sobbed during the entire plane ride back to Forks in Alice's cold arms. Then she was in the bathroom, digging through the drawers. The razor blade had never looked so enticing. She had gasped in pain as the cool metal cut deep into her, but the satisfaction soon followed. She had felt her life slipping away, but then that voice was with her again...

Bella tore her eyes from the bandages on her mangled wrists to the hands that were clasped in her own. She immediately recognized the spiky hair of the girl sitting in the hard chair beside her.

"Bella?" Alice whispered tentatively, worry etched across her perfect features.

She couldn't respond. Attempting to choke back the tears that were threatening to fall, Bella averted her eyes from her friend's beautiful face. "Is he really…" she trailed off, unable to continue.

But nothing could stop her tears once Alice spoke again.

"Oh, Bella. I am so sorry," Alice said, pain etched across her granite features.

Bella felt her entire being erupt in agonizing sobs. Hearing Alice confirm her worst nightmare was more than she could stand. Waves of grief washed over her with each teardrop that escaped her eyes.

"Bella," Alice pleaded, trying to calm her down, "look at me. Please, Bella. Look at me."

Bella slowly turned her face towards Alice, but her tears continued to course down her cheeks.

Alice took a deep breath. "Bella, I am so terribly sorry. We were all so worried about you. But how could you do this, Bella? Please, help me understand."

When Bella finally spoke, her voice was so alarmingly empty, so void of any emotions, that Alice found herself dizzy and short of breath. "How could I not? How could I live in a world without him?" she responded quietly.

"But you already were without him, and you had been for months and months—"

"I know, Alice," Bella said suddenly, cutting her friend off. "But the only thing that kept me going, the only thing that kept me…alive, was knowing that somehow, somewhere, he still existed."

Alice's face fell with deep sadness as Bella's words sunk in. Bella continued, "Don't you see Alice? Once I knew that he…didn't…there was no other option. I was a shell of a human when he left, and I became nothing when he d-died—" She couldn't speak anymore after she choked out the last word, for a new wave of hysterical sobs was now wracking her body.

Alice slowly raised herself out of her chair and crawled into the bed next to Bella. She held her friend close to her, encasing her in cold stone. She stroked her back, trying to soothe her cries and block images of Bella's mangled wrists and cracked heart.

She knew, deep down, that it would never be enough for Bella. She could never truly make her whole again. But she sure as hell was going to try.

_A/N: So what did you think? Questions? Complaints? Praise? PLEASE REVIEW!_


	2. Recovering and Returning

_A/N: Hello! So here's chapter two...it's much longer this time, so that's a plus! The plot is only going to get more complicated and interesting, with many twists and turns that I have planned. Please please please review and let me know what you think! Thanks to everyone who added this story to their favorites/alerts, and to **oranjitenshi** for the review! I appreciate it so much and hope for many more. Enjoy!_

**Recovering and Returning**

Bella was released from the hospital in two weeks time, throughout which Alice never left her side. She was eternally grateful to have her friend back, after those desolate months of longing and misery.

The past two weeks had been a total haze to her. Blurry memories of the doctors' pristine white lab coats, the scratching of the psychologist's pen, and the quick flash of blood as they swiftly wrapped fresh bandages around her wrists flipped through Bella's mind. She thought of the latter in disgust. The hospital staff treated her condition as if it were shameful, and though Bella certainly wasn't proud of what she had done, covering it up and referring to her attempted suicide as "her little accident" was simply appalling.

Having Alice back in her life made the experience almost bearable. Alice always knew when Bella just wanted to sit and cry softly into her hands, she just held her close, stroking her hair with her petite, ice-cold hands. That silent comfort was all Bella could handle; any more made her think of _him_.

The wounds that his memory ripped open were still very fresh, and Bella was not willing to accept the fact that she would never again see his face.

When even a glimpse of him appeared in her mind, tears welled up in Bella's eyes. When she thought of all the things she would have to face without him, she felt her heart break into a thousand more pieces. It seemed irrational, because for the past months, she'd been functioning in a life without Edward. But now that she knew he was gone, not only from her but also from this world, colors seemed dull. In world where Edward did not exist, there was no beauty, no stars. All that was left was a black fog surrounding her, threatening to suffocate her with each forced breath she took.

She could never again wake up in the middle of the night, looking towards her window in the hopes that he might return for her; there would be no strong arms encasing her in calm as she slept, no dazzling stares, no breathtaking kisses. It was in these moments when she realized that she would never see his smile that she wished Alice had let her veins bleed out.

* * *

Soon it was time for Bella to return home, and as Alice drove them to Charlie's house in silence, Bella appreciated the fact that her friend was managing to remain just under the speed limit, though she doubted it was without great difficulty. She felt a small smile play onto her lips for the first time since she had seen Alice standing in her living room weeks before. The smile quickly disappeared as memories of the following days filled her mind…

_They made it. They were finally in Italy. They were going to stop Edward before he made the worst mistake of his existence._

_The clock tower began to toll. One…Two…Three…_

_She had left Alice behind moments before. As she raced through the crowds, she barely noticed the sharp jolts of elbows colliding with her ribcage or the scowls and complaints of the people around her, oblivious to the enormity of what was occurring._

_Four…Five…Six…_

_All she could see was the Palazzo dei Priori._

_Seven…Eight…_

"_Edward!" she screamed uselessly into the overwhelming noise of the crowd. "EDWARD!"_

_Nine…Ten…_

_Her breathing hitched as she saw the clock tower, her eyes flying to the nearby alleyway. _

_Eleven…_

_She threw herself into the darkness of the alley, but landed, not in the cold, strong arms of her beloved, but on the unforgiving cement, still damp from previous night's rainfall._

_Twelve._

_He was gone._

Bella returned to the present as she and Alice slowly pulled into Charlie's driveway. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as the pain the memory had aroused crashed over her.

"Bella?" Alice questioned carefully, staring uneasily at her friend. "Are you alright?"

Bella nodded, then turned and stepped out of the Mercedes. Alice looked on with concern creasing her forehead before releasing her seatbelt and following after Bella's broken form.

Before Bella could even knock, Charlie had swung the door open and taken her into his firm grip. Bella hung limply in his arms, patting him cautiously on his back as he sobbed.

"Bella," he said, his voice muffled by her shoulder that he was pressing his wet face into. "Oh, Bella I thought I'd lost you."

He gently lowered his daughter to the ground before walking over to the living room and collapsing into an armchair. He stared at her with bloodshot eyes, trying to memorize her face as though she might disappear in a heartbeat.

Alice led Bella to the couch, sitting her down and wrapping her hands around Bella's and giving them a light squeeze of encouragement.

"Hi Dad," Bella whispered, her voice hoarse from hours of not uttering a sound.

Charlie erupted in another fit of silent sobs, and Bella cringed. The sight of her father so vulnerable was starting to make her uneasy.

Alice seemed to pick up on this immediately. "Charlie, Bella is exhausted. I think a good nights' sleep in her own bed might do her well," Alice said quickly, already securing an arm around Bella waist to lift her off the couch.

"I'm so sorry dad—" Bella began, but was cut off by another one of Charlie's monstrous embraces.

"Just get some rest," Charlie said before releasing her and staring into her deep brown eyes. "Please."

Bella nodded silently as Alice towed her upstairs to her bedroom. Once there, Bella approached her bed as Alice went searching for some pajamas. She changed without speaking before crawling under her covers. As it had become custom, Alice curled herself tightly around Bella and let her softly cry herself to sleep.

* * *

When she awoke in the morning, Bella excused herself from Alice's iron grip to use the bathroom. She thought wistfully of how she and Edward had called this time her "human minute."

But before the tears could fall, she heard a familiar voice coming from her living room. As she slowly crept downstairs, her heart fluttered in anticipation. Just as she heard Alice's growl from upstairs, her eyes landed on his half-naked form.

Jacob.

_A/N: Dum dum dum! Don't worry people, I'm Team Edward always and forever. What'd you think? I promise, with the next couple chapters this is going to get really good!  
So PLEASE review! I know everybody always asks for reviews but as of now I have no idea what people are liking, what they're not. I'd appreciate just a simple review more than anything on this earth. I'm not going to pull the whole "No reviews, no updates" thing because I think that's totally lame, but it doesn't mean that at some point I won't lose my resolve if I don't get any feedback.  
Thank you so much for reading my stupid rant...haha you guys are awesome! _


	3. Salvation and Visions

_A/N: Hey everyone! I just want to thank all those who took the time to review the last chapters. I appreciate so, so much. It's wonderful to receive those questions, ideas, and of course, little boosts of confidence :)_

_Well I hope you enjoy this one…even though it's kind of a bore. I promise, however, that there are some pretty exciting things coming after it, just wait for the next update! _

**Salvation and Visions**

_But before the tears could fall, she heard a familiar voice coming from her living room. As she slowly crept downstairs, her heart fluttered in anticipation. Just as she heard Alice's growl from upstairs, her eyes landed on his half-naked form._

_Jacob._

As she stared at the tall, muscular boy before her, Bella felt as though her shredded heart had managed to rip itself into even more pieces. He was there for her, even though she left him without a second thought to go rescue Edw—no. No, she wasn't going to think about him. She wasn't going to cry. Not in front of Jake. Not now.

"Jake?" she called out cautiously from the third step, her eyes open wide, hair lying limp and knotted from her restless sleep, pajamas hanging off of her too-thin frame.

He looked at her with so much emotion in his eyes she thought she might burst. "Bella," he whispered, rushing to her side and cradling her in his arms. She tucked herself into his grasp, burying her face in his neck and allowing her tears to finally fall. Each teardrop that fell onto his scorching hot skin was filled with a mixture of joy and shame.

He carried her into the living room as Charlie quietly slipped out the front door and into his cruiser. They sat down on the couch, Bella still wrapped in Jakes embrace. When her sobs calmed, Jake slowly placed Bella next to him so he could look her in the eye.

"Bella," he murmured, "what happened?"

"I—Oh Jacob, I am so sorry. So, so sorry."

"Please, Bella, never apologize. I'm the one who should be apologizing—" he began, but Bella cut him off.

"I understand, Jake, really I do. I understand why you had to stay away when I was at the hospital." Bella said quickly, reassuring him.

"No, I have no excuse. You needed me, and I wasn't there," he said with pain written across his dark features. "But it was so difficult to see you like that. I came by a few times, when you were sleeping, you know. But you looked so…broken. I just couldn't stand to see you like that."

"Jacob—" Bella started, but she was interrupted by Alice, who had appeared at the foot of the stairs.

"Bella? What's going on?" she implored.

"Nothing, Alice. Everything is alright." Bella responded calmly, turning to her friend. She noticed then, for the first time in the two weeks she had spent with Alice by her side at all times, that the vampire's eyes were black as night. When she thought about it, she realized that Alice hadn't gone hunting once since she'd first seen her.

"Alice, you need to hunt." Bella stated firmly, trying to give her a look that reassured her of the situation.

"Are you sure?" Alice asked, though the hope that she would be free to feed was evident in her voice.

Bella nodded slowly, emphasizing her certainty. Alice flashed a large smile before running gracefully through the door and into the forest.

Finally, Bella was alone with Jacob for the first time in weeks. They merely stared at each other in wonder, both blissfully unaware of anything but the other's presence. Jake sighed contently and rested his forehead gently against Bella's, breathing deeply in through his nose, as a smile playing onto his lips.

"Jacob," Bella whispered. "I need you to comprehend what happened. Because I know that no matter what you say, you're still confused about why I did it."

When dropped his gaze, she knew she was correct. "I just don't understand. I thought you were finally happy…happy with me. I thought that I was finally healing that hole that seemed to consume you. But I guess it was never enough, I guess I was never enough…" he trailed off as the emotion in his voice seemed to break and come to a head, swallowing hard before meeting Bella's eyes once more.

"Oh, Jake. I _was_ happy!" she cried. "I was happier than I thought possible for me. But there was always a part of me that clung, almost desperately, to the fact that somewhere on this earth, he existed. I know I shouldn't have done it. It just caused everyone so much more pain. But in that moment, it felt like the only option. The only way to finally be at peace."

Instead of speaking, Jacob merely pulled her into another tight embrace; they needed no words. They just sat there, feeling the warmth radiating between their bodies, until the sun began to set over the horizon. Jacob rested his chin on Bella's head as they watched the burning, gaseous light hide behind a mountain.

"I love you," he whispered to her, ever so quietly.

Her body stiffened in his grasp.

Realizing his mistake, Jacob released her and began to apologize, "Oh! Oh, Bella. You know what I mean. Not like…that. Well, I guess it is like that but—oh no. I didn't mean it. I mean, you know? Bella, I'm so sorry! Really, I am…"

He trailed off, before suddenly grasping Bella's numb shoulders and turning her to face him. "You know what? I'm not sorry. I do mean it. I…I love you, Bella. I really do. And I know it's horrible timing and that I apologize for, but I just want, no, need, you to know. I need you to know how much I truly love you. So, Bella, please, let's start over again. Let me be your salvation."

Bella stared at him silently, millions of words threatening to erupt from her gaping mouth but none managing to escape. Sure, she knew that somewhere deep down Jacob had feelings for her that extended way beyond the confinements of friendship, but now? Why would he say something of this magnitude now?

But before she could utter a single syllable, Bella heard a crash as the front door smashed clean off its hinges. Jumping off the couch and out of Jake's grasp, Bella peered at Alice as she stepped through the now open doorway.

"Sorry, Bella. I'll fix that, promise." Alice said quickly, running to Bella's side.

"Alice, what's going on? Is there a reason why you knocked down my door?" Bella asked incredulously.

"I think you ought to sit down," Alice reasoned, but Bella remained where she was.

"Tell me what's happening," she demanded.

Alice took a deep, unnecessary breath. "I had a vision," she began; Bella's heartbeat started going on overdrive. "But it wasn't like any other vision I've had. Instead of fading smoothly out at the end, this one cut off abruptly after only three seconds, almost as if I wasn't supposed to see it."

Bella stared at her friend, waiting for her to continue. "What else, Alice? There is something else."

"It's just, the vision. It is impossible that this would be the first I would see of it. It makes no sense," Alice explained.

Bella's heart was beating so fast that it felt ready to burst straight through her ribcage. Jacob gripped the couch tightly.

"Alice," she whimpered. "Alice, what was the vision?"

"Edward. It was Edward. Alive."

_A/N: So what'd you think?? Sorry if the Jacob stuff was kind of lame, but it had to be done. Best to get it out of the way. May I just say how extremely hard it was to write that Jacob/Bella scene? As a proud member of Team Edward, I found it quite difficult to resist just having Jacob run away and never return…(Sorry to Jacob lovers!)_

_Well, this story is about to get really exciting, really fast, so put this on your story alerts and keep reading on!_

_Oh, and do I even have to ask for reviews? Well, here goes: PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE?? XD _


	4. Reappearances and Theories

_A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry that it has been SO LONG since my last update. I know I said I'd get it to you long ago, but school and life just caught up with me. So I hope you can forgive me for that. Anyways, here's the next chapter! It might be the last one until next weekend, because my finals start tomorrow, so I made this chapter cover a lot more events than I would usually describe in a single chapter. I hope you like it…enjoy!_

**Reappearances and Theories**

"_It's just, the vision. It is impossible that this would be the first I would see of it. It makes no sense," Alice explained._

_Bella's heart was beating so fast that it felt ready to burst straight through her ribcage. Jacob gripped the couch tightly._

"_Alice," she whimpered. "Alice, what was the vision?"_

"_Edward. It was Edward. Alive."_

As soon as his name slipped through Alice's perfect lips, it was as though the world had fallen away, leaving Bella alone with her only her emotions. Drowning in this sea of blackness, gasping for air, fighting against fear. Shock. Anger. Confusion. Relief. Hurt. Love.

She faintly saw Jacob's fuzzy outline somewhere in the distance, staring at her with worry. She realized that Alice continued to talk, but her words came out as mere static.

The last thing she remembered was the cold floor knocking the wind out of her as she collapsed.

* * *

When she came to, Bella found herself on the couch once more, locked in Jacob's strong arms as he rocked her frail body back and forth. She noticed Alice to her right, pacing across the living room and speaking on her cell phone at an alarming rate.

Jacob seemed to notice that she'd stirred, peering unsteadily into her chestnut brown eyes.

"Are you alright, Bella?" he said carefully, as though afraid she would disappear into another shock-induced coma.

Instead of speaking, Bella just turned slowly towards Alice, who glanced at her before saying something unintelligible into the phone a snapping it shut.

"Alice?" Bella croaked uncertainly as hot tears began to pool in her eyes and blur her vision.

Before Bella could even blink, Alice was at her side. "That was Carlisle. He says they'll be here within the hour."

Bella felt a small smile play onto her lips. She didn't even have to ask who "they" were.

"Alice, what's happening?"

"I'm not sure yet. But we will figure this out, Bella. I swear to you, we will." Alice said adamantly, clutching her friend's hand.

The phone chirped impatiently, and Alice excused herself, exiting the room.

"Bella?" Jacob ventured quietly. Bella jumped; she had almost forgotten he was there. "How can you still love him? After all he's done to you, how?"

Bella turned her head slightly, gazing up at Jacob's handsome, russet features. She didn't say anything, but the moment their eyes met, she saw his flicker with understanding.

He set his mouth in a firm line, reminding Bella of the period of time when she reverted back to her zombie-like state, when Jacob refused to see or speak to her because of his new secret. Only once she had figured out that he was a werewolf could they be friends again.

Slowly, Jacob lifted himself off of the couch, placed her carefully back upon it, and walked towards the back window. When he left, he didn't look back.

* * *

After over an hour of waiting, Bella's patience was beginning to wear. The pain constricting her heart grew worse with every minute of uncertainty and loneliness that passed.

Alice's frustration was much more apparent. She had paced the living room so many times that the rug was beginning to wear and fray in her path.

Suddenly, Alice's eyes glazed over, and Bella's heart stopped. When she returned to her normal state, she looked at Bella happily.

"They're here."

Sure enough, Bella immediately heard the crunch of gravel under the wheels of their car as it pulled into the driveway with grace.

Alice flew to the entrance, stepping over the discarded door and peering outside. Bella slowly raised herself from the couch, walking shakily towards Alice. When she finally raised her gaze from her feet, she felt a smile tugging gently at her lips.

Standing before her were Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie. The mere sight of their long absent, beautiful faces took Bella's breath away.

It was the Cullens. It was her family.

* * *

As she stared at the majestic family around her, all Bella could think of was the empty chair beside her, in which belonged the person whose obviously missing presence was stretching that gaping hole in her chest even further.

It was because of him that they were all assembled here, at the Cullen home, together.

"Right," Carlisle began from the head of the table, speaking slowly to ensure Bella's comprehension of the discussion. "I'm sure that all of you are aware of the current situation, so let us get right down to it: Edward is missing, but there is no doubt in my mind that he is alive at this moment."

Bella immediately felt dizzy and hot, but soon felt waves of calm radiating through her body, and sent a thankful look in Jasper's direction; she'd definitely missed having him around.

"But Carlisle," Rosalie interjected callously, "how could he live? You said that the Volturi caught him! Alice had a vision of Edward burning in Volterra!"

With this remark, Bella's head snapped up, breaking the calm aura she was surrounded in. Jasper tried to send more her way, but he couldn't break through her shock. "What did you say?" she gasped, staring at Rosalie with her mouth hanging open.

"She didn't tell you?" Rosalie said with an evil glint in her eye. "Oh, yes. She saw him, in the middle of the square, in pieces, burning, ever so slowly—"

"ENOUGH!" Carlisle roared, standing up and clenching the table so tightly that it dented. "That is enough, Rosalie."

Rosalie lowered her gaze and recoiled from Carlisle's forceful words. As Esme placed a comforting hand on Carlisle's arm, he gracefully lowered himself back into his seat. Turning back to the rest of the table, he spoke again, "Yes, Bella. Alice did have a vision of Edward's…death. But do you understand why she kept it from you? You were already in enough pain, she didn't need to add more."

Bella looked at Alice's pained face, and nodded slowly.

"I believe that we have something on our hands that none of us could have predicted. Not even Alice. I think that there is someone we don't know about. A newborn with extraordinary abilities, abilities we didn't know existed." Carlisle spoke clearly and formally, as every face at the table grew increasingly confused. "There is someone who has the power to control those of others. There is someone who is interfering with Alice's visions, but not all of them, just those that he or she wants to control. That someone is blocking visions of Edward from Alice, and only visions of Edward. Whoever it is cannot be working alone."

As comprehension and fear lit up on the faces of the others, Bella remained stoic.

"But what about before? Why did my vision get cut off? Why did I see it at all?" Alice questioned, clutching Jasper's hand.

"They slipped. Lost their concentration. This must have been a split second decision on Edward's part, he must have figured out the way their ability works," he stood slowly, leaning on the table with white knuckles. "But they have been torturing him, for what reason I cannot say, and we _must_ rescue him." Carlisle said, glancing around the room at the frightened faces of his family.

Emmett stood up suddenly. "I'm in" he said. And it was all that needed to be said.

"Me too," Jasper said, standing as well.

"Yes, of course," said Esme as she got to her feet.

"Count me in," Alice cried, leaping out of her seat.

With a small sigh of protest, Rosalie reluctantly stood up too.

Soon all eyes were on Bella, who stood slowly and shakily. "So where are we going?" she asked Carlisle, determined to keep her voice level.

"Volterra."

_A/N: Ah! So what'd you think? Intense enough for you? It's pretty long, and I think I definitely accomplished some plot development here. Well I hope you liked it, please leave me a review and tell me what you think? You guys will be the only thing getting me through finals!_

_Thanks so much for all the love and support. I'll try my hardest to update again this week!_


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